Today we’re reviewing, discussing, and giving away a copy of AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay (affiliate link).  Keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy.

AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church is written by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay who pastor Adullam Church in Denver, CO.  To quote the authors, “The idea of the AND is that every church can find a balance of both scattering people out for mission while maintaining a biblically meaningful reason to gather together.”

The traditional way to do church in the U.S. is centered on a Sunday service that people in the community must come to.  This type of church is often referred to as attractional.  But some people argue that many people have no interest in church at all, a new kind of church is needed to reach these people, one that goes out into the community, serves and builds relationships with people.  This type of church is often referred to as missional.  A big debate has erupted within the church as to which is better.

AND makes the case that “picking one side of the other is not the place to start.”  If a missional organization is successful, a community of faith will naturally want to form around it.  And if a church has no missional component it risks “becoming nothing more than a hospital, social/spiritual club, or teaching center.”  “A key to success in this flow [from engaging culture to community formation] is to avoid letting the two processes become isolated from each other… As our community begins to form, we are also continuing to engage more people.”

Favorite quotes

• The scriptures are clear.  God is the one who builds the church.  In Acts 2, he turned a network of house churches into a mega-church and in Acts 8 he allowed a centralized Hebrew church to be scattered all over the new world. (P 26)
• Church happens when a group of people decide to go on a mission with God together. (P 46)
• How “missional” you are is largely determined by the extent to which your people model the life, activities, and words of Jesus. (P 52)
• The reality is that living this way means you don’t get what your flesh wants.  You don’t get to keep all the money.  You don’t get to do whatever you want with your time.  You have to share your house, your stuff, your money, your kids.  You have to exchange your ambitions for God’s your kingdom for his, and you must be available for God to interrupt your nicely scheduled day with needs that will cause you to pull your hair out. (P 79)
• The great things of God cost us our life. (P 80)
• It’s time that we begin developing qualitative methods for turning consumers into missionaries, fans into followers, adherents into leaders. (P 80)
• Deeper discipleship can’t happen from the pulpit or through church programs.  It seems to happen best when a leader gives someone personal time. (P 86)
• The gravity towards consumerism is simply a symptom of how bored our people are with the basic Christian experience. (P 92)
• The most meaningful experience a person can have in this life is to feel connected with God – to know that God is leading their lives. (P 93)
• The common message of controlling sin, going to church, reading your Bible, journaling, and praying is that it just does not paint a compelling enough picture to keep people engaged spiritually, nor does it actually produce an active spirituality where people see God and grow. (P 93)
• [Jesus] didn’t waste time and emotional energy planning programs or leading strategy efforts to draw people to a consumer-oriented environment.  And he wasn’t too worried about opening the front door or closing the back door of his group of disciples.  Instead, Jesus preferred to allow people to observe him and make that extra effort to figure him out.  He knew that the real seekers would keep pursuing him and wouldn’t be satisfied until they had come to him. (P 105)
• People are not drawn to mission statements anymore.  They are drawn to stories like their own. (P 107)
• In the absence of vision, pettiness prevails.
• The church service is not inherently a problem, but it can lead to the consumer-oriented faith we’ve all come to know and lament.  Weekly services take a lot of time and resources, and they have the potential of lulling people into a spectator religiosity. (P 163)
• If the vision of the church is not scary if it doesn’t require everyone to pitch in, if faith is not needed, then folks will stay home and watch the football game. (P 172)
• If you try to start a church or grow a church you often attract people who just want to do “church things”; but if you start with a mission, God will draw people together and church will happen naturally. (P 174)
• Imagine what would happen if the average pastor/teacher who gives 25-30 hours a week to preparing a sermon actually gave 25-30 hours a week to teaching people how to teach other people the scriptures? (P 184)
• Faith is easy when you don’t need it.  And when you don’t need it, it’s not faith at all! (P 200)

Personal thoughts

The church in America (and all of western civilization) is in crisis right now.  Everyone knows it but few know what to do about it.  Attractional churches like Willow Creek began to emerge 30 years ago because traditional churches failed to change and were becoming irrelevant.  Many pastors and Christian leaders gravitated towards that model because unlike traditional churches it was engaging and relevant to people’s lives.

But in recent years, there’s been a backlash against attractional churches.  Our culture has changed again.  Many people disdain organized religion.  Many people are skeptical of anything that appears over-produced and inauthentic, including church services.  Many people are tired of structure, rules, and authority.  And those are people within the church.

As a result, many Christian leaders repelled by attractional churches have started emergent, organic, house, and missional churches.  In some ways, these movements have been a reaction to the seeker church movement, and so there’s been a lot of criticism and resistance within them towards the icon of the attractional church, the large worship service.

AND is an extremely important book, because it bridges the gap between the attractional and missional models.  It makes a convincing case that churches in general need to be more missional, that missional organizations need large gatherings and structure if they’re going to continue to disciple and send out more missional people, and that it’s both scriptural and logical for churches to embrace both a sending and gathering nature.

AND really resonated with me because I’ve been wrestling with the whole attractional vs missional dilemma.  I’ve been a bit frustrated with some aspects of attractional churches, and I have to admit that the idea of ditching the Sunday service engaging exclusively with an organic/house church has had some appeal.  But I’ve had a hard time finding vibrant, outreaching, house churches, which has made me skeptical that it’s a more viable expression of church.  AND helped me understand my discontent with attractional churches and my disappointment with more missional house churches, and showed me that churches ought to be a combination of the two.

AND is a book I think every pastor, church leader, missionary, and parachurch leader should read

Discussion

1. Do you agree that it’s possible – even necessary – for a church to be both attractional and missional?  If so why?
2. Is your church more attractional or missional in nature?
3. In what if any ways is your church working to become stronger (missional or attractional) in the area where its been historically weaker?

Get a Free Book

If you’d like a free copy of AND, all you have to do is

1. Retweet this post or share it on Facebook, and
2. Post a meaningful comment to this post that contributes to the conversation (include your Facebook or Twitter usename in your comment so I can connect your comment to your share/tweet).

One person will be randomly selected the afternoon of Wednesday 7/14 to receive a free copy.

Of course, you could buy a copy of AND now (affiliate link) and if you’re lucky enough to win, you can give that copy away.

Earlier this week I posted my review of A Path to Publishing by Ed Cyzewski (affiliate link) and invited you all to post your advice or questions about writing, publishing, and marketing a book. Yesterday, I interviewed Ed via Gmail Chat and asked him many of your questions plus some of my own.

Here’s a transcript of that chat.

Paul: Hi Ed, thanks for taking the time to talk with me about your book A Path to Publishing and answer some of the questions readers of my blog LiveIntentionally.org have submitted.

Ed: Thanks for having me and for doing such a great job inviting readers into the discussion.

Paul: My pleasure. Why don’t you start telling me a little about yourself personally?

Ed: I’ve always enjoyed writing, but considered it as a side career while attending seminary. When I realized pastoral work wasn’t for me, I pursued writing full time and published my first book Coffeehouse Theology.

After that I began blogging about my experiences with publishing at www.edcyz.com and then published A Path to Publishing as a way of answering all of my friends’ questions about how to publish a book. I work as a full-time freelance writer these days in Connecticut while my wife attends UConn for an English Lit. PhD. END

Paul: That’s awesome that you’ve been able to turn writing from a hobby to something that pays the bill.

Ed: I never said it pays the bills. It’s a struggle for sure!

Paul: LOL! What motivated you to write A Path to Publishing?

Ed: After I published my first book tons of friends, strangers, and family members asked me, “What should I do to get published?” Well, you need to do quite a lot, so I wrote one long e-mail after another.

I turned those e-mails into publishing workshops that were very well received. So I turned my workshop into a book where I frankly map out a step-by-step guide to publishing a book with steps such as developing an idea, networking, writing a book, and marketing it.

Paul: Do you know what sort of odds new authors are up against? Do you know what percentage of book proposals by new authors get accepted?

Ed: I don’t have hard and fast numbers, but there were 750,000 books published last year, both self and with publishers combined, so take into account that thousands of authors are querying agents with book proposals, and a small fraction of them are pitched to publishers, where only a small group are published. And then only 5-10% of those published sell over 1,000 copies. Around 5% actually make back their advances. So, the odds are pretty steep. The thing is, it can be done. It’s just not easy. It’s just about one of the most challenging careers out there.

One editor at a major publisher told me, “Avoid being an author if you can help it. It’s tough out there.” That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, but that you should only do it if you can’t help doing it. It has to be a passion.

Paul: With such long odds, it’s really important to have guidance from someone who has been through the process. That’s why I think A Path to Publishing is such an important resource.

Self-Publishing

One of the things that’s radically changing the publishing industry these days is self-publishing. What are your thoughts on self-publishing? Do you recommend it?

Ed: Self-publishing is tricky. It needs to be the right kind of book by an author with a significant following of readers if it’s going to sell. However, it can be a wonderful supplemental source of income and a great way to distribute ideas or a story. I’d suggest not jumping into self-publishing right away. If you think you have a great idea, shop it around until no publisher will pay you for it. Then, if you still care enough about the idea, do a lot of research into some self-publishing options.

For unpublished authors it can be tough to self-publish since they don’t know all that goes into publishing a book. There is a lot that goes into publishing a good book, and so they’ll want to make sure they have some guidance throughout the process.

Paul: One of the questions posted in the blog comments was… what is the upfront cost for a self publish on average?

Ed: It depends what you need. Most self-publishers like Lulu and Createspace print on demand and take a slice of the profits. With Createspace you pay an extra $40 for distribution on multiple channels. I also paid $100 for my cover design, but I had some free editorial help from qualified friends. So, I technically published my book for $140, but most first-time authors who are self-publishing will want to hire a pro editor ($300-$500 roughly) to help them develop their books (as in, not just proof-reading).

My cost is low, but Lulu and other services have packages that can run a bit more. there are some great independent self-publishers out there that I recommend in the book, but you’re talking about hundreds if not thousands of dollars since they do short-run printings and have a higher per-book cost, easily double that of Amazon. And then you’re out double the amount of money before Amazon sucks a bunch of profits from the sales through their site. I decided for myself that since I couldn’t beat Amazon, I’d best use Createspace. It’s cheap and easy to use, which is tough to beat. END

Paul: Another question asked by a reader… Do you consider self-publishing a good path towards eventually getting a contract with a publishing house?

Ed: Well, publishers are looking for authors who can either tell a great story (fiction) or attract a crowd of readers who will buy their (especially nonfiction). So, self-publishing a book is not as effective as publishing articles in some great magazines and journals or lining up some media spots or events, but if you have a great self-publishing sales history (say over 1,000 books), then you may have something to show publishers. Some best-selling books have started out as self-published, but they are the exception.

Paul: Yeah, you have some great examples of those in your book.

Marketing a Book

I was really struck by the part in your book where you said, “Writing the book is only half of the work in publishing. Marketing it makes up the other half.” Can you elaborate on that?

Ed: That statement is particularly true for nonfiction and I’ve heard it repeated by editors, agents, and just about anyone else I know in publishing. It’s kind of the open secret in publishing. Authors need to connect with readers personally, as few authors will receive the marketing support from publishers that their books require. Even if they get marketing support from a publisher, they will be quite busy. Think of it this way, if an author doesn’t tell readers about his/her book, who will? Perhaps they’ll have some help here and there, but in the end it generally boils down to how much they’re willing to invest in talking about their books at events, in interviews, blog posts, on social media, and wherever else.

Paul: How important is it on the marketing side of things for authors to engage with people online by blogging and social networking?

Ed: It’s important, but it can be overestimated. Gary Vaynerchuk’s book Crush It! (affiliate link) is a great guide to this kind of marketing, and it really does work to sell books when targeted to the right niche of readers. However, authors should not overlook traditional media such as radio, TV, and newspapers. Readers still use all of these mediums often and they’re quite effective. I suggest looking up Cheapskate Jeff Yeager’s story. It took a TV spot to launch him out of obscurity to becoming a published author.

Paul: One interesting comment made on the blog was about the skills & strengths needed to be a good writer and a good marketer. Do you think most good writers have the aptitude to also be good marketers? Or are those skill sets not often found in the same person?

Ed: Just as good writers develop their craft over time, so too is good marketing. Different people will specialize or feel more comfortable in certain mediums, but every author can learn how to market a book in one way or another.

Authors need to remember that if they want to write and publish a book, then they also need to be prepared to talk about it. I think authors need a 30-word summary of their books in mind in order to write, but they also need this summary so they can communicate with readers. Marketing may not be pleasant for all authors, but it is a necessary skill they can learn. Perhaps renaming it would help. When phrased as “connecting with readers,” marketing usually seems a bit easier to do, at least it does for me.

Paul: That’s a good point about developing marketing skills over time with practice. Few people were great writers right off the bat. It took practice. And the same is true or those authors who may be new to the idea of connecting with people and marketing their own books.

More Questions from Readers

OK, well I’m going to fire off a few more questions posted in the blog comments…

How do you learn more about the business aspects of being an author – connecting with an agent, understanding book contracts?

Ed: Most authors I know rely on agents to handle the business end of things, so I’m not sure how to learn more about contracts beyond asking published authors to look at their contracts or doing some searches online. I have read some Writer’s Digest articles about contracts as well.

Ed: As far as agents go, there are tons and tons of excellent agent and editor web sites that aspiring authors should read. They should follow these agents on Twitter, ask questions, make comments, and study these industry pro blogs so they don’t make stupid mistakes like calling a book a “fiction novel” or querying with “To Whom It May Concern.” Agents will tell you exactly what they want. It’s very easy to find that information. I suggest starting with Janet Reid, Nathan Bransford, and Rachelle Gardener. Check out their blog rolls for more.

Paul: You mentioned a couple of faux pas, are there any other things to avoid in a query letter that would automatically cause no further consideration?

Ed: Query letters are SOOO important. Proposals are as well, but don’t skimp on the query. Make sure you have a compelling hook for your book, that your summary tells the story in a nutshell without being too ambiguous, and doesn’t violate any of the guidelines for the particular agent you’re querying. Adapt it for each agent.

I’d also suggest getting folks who aren’t close family friends or relatives to read it and to give feedback. if you can run it by a publishing pro who can give a solid critique. These editors and other folks have blogs and they’re on Twitter. Start building those relationships today so it will be natural to ask for a quick favor when you need it. It’s a ton of fun meeting other folks in publishing, so that part should be a piece of cake. END

Paul: What are your thoughts on making use of e-books for global reach?

Ed: That’s a great idea, though many publishers have some sort of global distribution deal. E-books are a great option because they can be distributed anywhere. I think it’s also nice to use E-books as an inexpensive and portable book option. When readers have more choices, authors certainly win.

Paul: Well, we are well over our time here. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about A Path to Publishing and share your insight into writing, publishing, and marketing a book. Before we go do you have any final words of advice you’d like to give the aspiring writers out there?

Ed: Writers write. Hopefully someone will read what they write, but don’t let publishing a book become your source of validation. Just write the best that you can and savor the moment when someone finds it helpful. If publishing a book is your source of validation you’ll always tack on another reason why you still haven’t arrived as a writer.

Ed: It never gets easier to write the next book. Many famous authors have said this over and over again, and I can confirm that. So just make sure you love it, give it all you’ve got, and celebrate every little success along the way. It can be incredibly rewarding work if you let it.

Thanks so much for hosting me here, for telling readers about my book, and for asking so many great questions. It’s been a pleasure! END

Paul: That’s great advice! If people want to connect with you where can they find you – on Twitter, your blog, etc.?

Ed: I’m at www.edcyz.com for writing advice and A Path to Publishing (with sample chapters and resources) can be found at www.pathtopublishing.com. I’m on Twitter as @EdCyzewski.

Paul: Great! Thanks again, Ed. I wish you all the best in your writing. God bless you!

Ed: Thanks Paul. I really appreciate it. Blessings.

Discussion

What did you find most impactful/insightful in my interview with Ed?

If you have additional questions or your questions from Tuesday’s post didn’t get answered, you’re welcome to post them in a comment. Ed will try to stop by and answer some additional questions, but your best option for learning more about writing, publishing, and marketing a book is to buy a copy of A Path to Publishing and read it, and keep it handy as you go through the process with your book.

Maureen Lee posted a great question in the comments on yesterday’s post about Ed Cyzewski’s book, A Path to Publishing.  She wrote:

Traditionally, it had seemed that the aptitudes needed for authoring books were vastly different from those needed to market them. Great writers had tended to be artistic, idealistic, philosophical and perceptive commentators of society, while great marketers had tended to be pragmatic, street smart, action-oriented and shrewd handlers of resources. (Both share the common ground of being astute observers of human nature.)

Yet it seems that to be successful in this post-technological Age of Recommendation, both gifted writers and gifted marketers need to overcome certain hurdles to function effectively in areas that may not their primary passion and strengths. I wonder if such a trend towards the blurring of roles for writers and marketers (i.e., writers need to sell, and marketers need to write) is diminishing or enhancing the primary strengths of either roles?

While the skills and strengths of great writers and great marketers may seem different on the surface, there is one quality that is extremely important to both.

Social Media Marketing

Before I get to what that quality is, I think it’s important to point out that much of the marketing authors need to do to sell their books is not traditional marketing, but rather social media marketing, which includes things like blogging, blog tours, Facebook, and Twitter.

While traditional marketing is largely well-polished, self-promoting, and broadcast in one direction (from the marketer to their audience), social media marketing or social networking is more authentic, relational, and conversational.

It’s All About Connecting

In A Path to Publishing, Ed Ed Cyzewski writes, “If you’re a writer, you’re goal is to connect with readers.”

If you’re using social media, your goal is to connect with people as well.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that connecting with people is the most important part both of writing a book and spreading the word about it through social media.

We could fill an entire book discussing what it means to connect with people and how to do it.  (Actually, John Maxwell recently did that in his book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect reviewed here.)  But I would define connecting as communicating with a person in a way that they feel like you understand and value them.

In that sense, what’s needed to be great at both writing and marketing a book may not be that different.

Technology and Tactics

Don’t confuse the ability to connect with the ability to set-up and use a blog or various social media tools.  Many people who are good at connecting with others, may not be familiar with the technology or tactics of social media.  Many authors would benefit from hiring someone to set-up their blog and social media accounts as well as train them on to use them effectively.

Do you agree that the ability to connect with people is the most important part both of writing a book and spreading the word about it through social media? Why or why not?

Ed and I are giving away 3 copies of A Path to Publishing later today, read yesterday’s review to learn how you can get a copy.

[image by taminator]

Today we’re reviewing, discussing, and giving away A Path to Publishing: What I Learned by Publishing a Nonfiction Book by Ed Cyzewski.  Keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy.

In A Path to Publishing, Ed Cyzewski provides authors with a guide through the entire publishing processes from writing to contacting an agent to drafting a proposal to marketing the book.  It also compares the pros and cons of having a publishing company publish a book versus self-publishing.

The publishing industry is going through radical changes right now.  When publishers are considering new authors, they give a lot of weight to an author’s platform – how many people read their blog and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.  They do this because an author who already has a following online will probably sell more books and probably do a better job of marketing their book once it’s publishing.  A Path to Publishing provides insight into building a platform before submitting a proposal as well as marketing a book online after it’s published.

Favorite quotes:

• Writing the book is only half of the work in publishing.  Marketing it makes up the other half. (P 22)
• One of the most important questions you’ll need to answer as an author is why YOU are the person to write this book. (P 25)
• If you don’t have a website/blog and accounts on Twitter and Facebook, you don’t exist in today’s marketplace. (P 37)
• Part of developing your craft should also be finding readers for your work. (P45)
• View your writing time as sacred. (P 59)
• Listing your web site statistics and the number of friends in your network will help establish your credibility. (P 79)
• Self-publishing puts a lot of pressure on authors to not only write a clean manuscript, but to organize the editing, designing, printing, and marketing of their books. (P 96)
• Editors are your most valuable allies.  They will save you from publishing a shoddy book. (P 121)
• I strongly suggest that you consider developing a regularly updated blog as a first priority. (P 133)
• A blogger with a regular following and a solid network of fellow bloggers is in a much better position to sell a book proposal and a book. (P 143)
• If you’re a writer, you’re goal is to connect with readers. (P 176)

Personal thoughts

Since I’ve never published a book, I can’t speak to the quality or accuracy of the advice provided in A Path to Publishing concerning writing a query letter, book proposal or the book itself.  But as the CEO of a company that provides online marketing services and as a blogger who has participated in a number of blog tours for books, I was very impressed with the insight into how an author can market their book online contained in A Path to Publishing.

Right up front in the first chapter, Ed comes out and says, “Writing the book is only half of the work in publishing.  Marketing it makes up the other half.”  Then he goes on to explain both the value and how-to’s of blogging, blog tours, Facebook, Twitter, podcasts, and more.

In recent years, prominent bloggers like Darren Rowse and Chris Brogan have gotten book deals.  So have well known Christian bloggers like Anne Jackson and John Acuff.  Other authors like Pete Willson, Dave Ferguson, Kem Meyer, and Tony Morgan work in full-time ministry, and they also write great blogs and have prominent social media presences, which has made them stand out to publishing companies and helped them sell their books.

If you are an author – published or aspiring – you can’t afford to ignore blogging and social media, and you can’t afford to miss the insight Ed provides into building your platform and marketing your book.

I especially like the fact that Ed wraps up each chapter with specific action steps.  It really makes A Path to Publishing a great resource for authors to keep handy throughout the publishing process.

Discussion

1. Do you agree with Ed’s claim that “Writing the book is only half of the work in publishing.  Marketing it makes up the other half.” Why or why not?
2. If you’re a published author, editor, agent, or publisher, what advice would you give to an author aspiring to be published?
3. If you could ask Ed one question about publishing a book, what would it be?

Interview with Ed Cyzewsk

On Thursday, I’ll be interviewing Ed.  In the interview, I’ll ask him as many of your questions as I can.  Then I’ll publish that interview here on Friday.

Get a Free Book

If you’d like a free electronic copy of A Path to Publishing, all you have to do is

1. Retweet this post or share it on Facebook, and
2. Post a comment that includes either a question for Ed or advice for authors  (include your Facebook or Twitter usename in your comment so I can connect your comment to your share/tweet).

Three people will be selected the afternoon of Wednesday 6/30 to receive free e-books.

To get a hard copy, buy A Path to Publishing here (affiliate link).

Today we’re reviewing, discussing, and giving away a copy of Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement by Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson (affiliate link).  Keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy.

In their new book Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement, pastors (and brothers) Dave and Jon Ferguson provide insight and practical advice into how to lead a church movement.  Dave and Jon don’t just write theoretically.  They along with a handful of friends started Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL which has gone on to launch 11 other campus and a church planting network.

Exponential is all about reproducing.  It starts from the smallest unit – you, and provides advice on reproducing leaders, reproducing small groups, reproducing churches, and reproducing movements.

Favorite quotes:

• Every movement starts with one person. (P 15)
• You can do it. (P 17)
• You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. –Acts 1:8
• Insisting every small group begin with a leader and an apprentice leader was one of the most important choices we ever made. (P 24)
• Leadership path: individual -> apprentice -> leader -> coach -> director -> campus pastor/church planter -> network leader (P 32)
• The core competency of any movement is apprenticing. (P 44)
• Leadership can only be developed through practice. –Ram Charan
• When you dream big, it changes how you think, how you act, and it can even change those around you. (P 46)
• God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. –Eph 3:20
• Wherever the creative class gravitates, there will be the creating of culture. (P 73)
• Our churches will need to become more comfortable with chaos and failure – if they want to be faithful to God. (P 116)
• Developing coaches (leaders of leaders) may be the single most overlooked yet vital task in spreading a missional movement. (P 118)
• The greatest gift a coach can bring to a leader is to be available when needed. (P 123)
• God’s dream is not for the church to be led by a one-man weekly show but for it to be a team led by great coaches. (P 129)

Personal thoughts

In many ways, Exponential, is the polar opposite of the last book I read and reviewed, Jesus Manifesto.  While Jesus Manifesto calls Christians back to loving Jesus more than anything, criticizes Christian formulas, and warns of allowing causes (even the causes of evangelism and church planting) to become a god, Exponential calls Christians to put reproducing at the forefront of their minds and it’s chock full of formulas like:

• 5 Reproducing Principles We’ve Learned
• 4 relationships every leader needs
• 5 keys to developing a church culture that attracts creatives
• 6 coaching questions
• 3 questions for discovering God things

I think there’s room in Christian conversation for both books.  God created a universe of systems – the solar system, the water cycle, the circulatory system, etc.  Systems are good as long as we don’t allow systems to become gods, and as long as we continue to be motivated by love for God and led by his Spirit.

There are billions of people in this world who are far from God.  There is only so much any one person can do to help people find their way back to God.  That’s why it’s critically important to multiply leaders, multiply teams, multiply churches, and multiply church networks.  Dave and Jon have proven they know how to do this.

No matter what Christian leadership role you find yourself in today, you’ll find insight and practical advice that will help you follow your God-given dream.  In particular, I recommend Exponential to small group coaches/directors, directors of music/arts, senior pastors, and people who find themselves currently on the sidelines with nothing but a dream.

My biggest takeaways from Exponential were.

• If you want your ministry to multiply, you have to start with that as one of the stated goals.
• Apprenticing others is one of the most important factors in multiplying, no matter what level of leadership you’re at.
• Apprenticing requires pouring into a person one-on-one.

Discussion

1. Do you want your ministry to multiply?  If so, is that one of the stated priorities?
2. How important do you think apprenticing is for multiplying ministries?  Do you have an apprentice?  Are you being apprenticed?
3. How important do you think meeting one-on-one is for personal and leadership development?

Get a Free Book

If you’d like a free copy of Exponential, all you have to do is

1. Retweet this post or share it on Facebook, and
2. Post a meaningful comment to this post that contributes to the conversation (include your Facebook or Twitter usename in your comment so I can connect your comment to your share/tweet).

One person will be randomly selected the afternoon of Tuesday 6/8 to receive a free copy.

Of course, you could buy a copy of Exponential now (affiliate link) and if you’re lucky enough to win, you can give that copy away.

That provocative statement is made by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola in their new book Jesus Manifesto. (Read on to see how you can save 40% or even win a free copy.)

Think about it.

If you’re a Christian, do you want the homeless guy who sleeps in your park to know Jesus, find his purpose, and get off the street because you love him? Or is it because having a homeless person sleeping in your park scares you?

Do you want the murder to find Jesus in prison because you love him?  Or is it because you don’t want another bad dude out on the streets when his sentence is up?

Do you want to reduce poverty because you really love people who are poor?  Or is it because you hate the world economic system that allows for such disparity in wealth?  Or is it because you resent your tax money going to government programs?

We can even look within the church…

For those of us who champion discipleship and spiritual growth, is it because we genuinely love immature believers and want to see Jesus formed in them more completely?  Or is it because we hate the people who just show up on Sunday and never serve, never put more than a couple bucks in the plate, act irresponsibly, smoke, drink, swear, screw around, and really don’t get it like we do?

Upon further reflection, all I can say is…

Ouch!

I’m guilty.

How about you?  When you examine your motives for wanting to change the world, is it because you really love people?  Or is it because you hate the unsafe, unpredictable, unfair world we live in full of unsafe, unpredictable, unfair people?

Jesus Manifesto is available on Amazon for 40% off today. Also find out how you can get a free copy of Jesus Manifesto by @LenSweet @FrankViola

[image by lab2112]

Today we’re reviewing, discussing, and giving away a copy of Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola.  Keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy.

In Jesus Manifesto, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola seek to do as the sub-title suggests: restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

The premise of the book is that many who call themselves Christians have allowed things of God to become more important that Jesus.  Many people pursue knowledge, accurate theological doctrine, serving, social justice, worship music, leadership, church-building, or morality in the name of Jesus rather than seeking Jesus himself.

Jesus Manifesto seeks to stir Christians to place Jesus front and center in their lives by painting a beautiful, awe-inspiring picture of Him.  If we seek Him and love Him, everything else in life will fall into place.  Not that life will be perfect or comfortable, but when we know Jesus, love Jesus, and focus on Jesus, everything else pales in comparison – success, failure, possessions, pain, even death.  All of those things seem insignificant when our focus is on the infinite awesomeness of Jesus.

Favorite Quotes

• Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy.  Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview.  Christianity is the “good news” that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. (P xxii)
• God is not so much about fixing things that have gone wrong in our lives as finding us in our brokenness and giving us Christ. (P 2)
• Sadly, many of us today combat problems and erroneous teachings with laws, rules, religious duty – and the mother of all religious tools: guilt. (P 25)
• When things go wrong, it’s not because we don’t understand certain doctrines or fail to follow particular commands.  It’s because we lave lost our “first love”… or never had it in the first place. (P 39)
• There is much more in Christ than we have ever imagined… He will never grow old or stale. (P 40)
• To develop spiritually, then, is to learn My Son. (P 48)
• If you will sink your roots deep in Christ, who is your life, you will not be able to stop the fruit from coming forth. (P 58)
• The commandments are paper handcuffs compared to Jesus’ love strands. (P 65)
• The road to truth is surrounded by a ditch on either side. (P 79)
• “Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair. –G.K. Chesterton
• “The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man.” –G.K. Chesterton
• The more you know the more you know how little you know. –Clifford Scott (P 88)
• Without the Way, there is no going, without the Truth, there is no knowing, Without the Life, there is no living. –Thomas a Kempis (P 90)
• May we, therefore, stop seeking “things” and instead lay hold of the “real thing” – Jesus. (P 92)
• It’s all too possible to serve the “god” of serving Jesus as opposed to serving Him out of an enraptured heart. (P 94)
• Get a fresh glimpse of your incomparable, Lord, and you will be emboldened to stop spending your life on yourself. (P 102)
• Jesus did not come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people live. (P 105)
• The more you judge, the less you love. (P 112)
• Too many Christians want to change the world not because they love the world but because they hate the world. (P 118)
• The “Christian life” is impossible.  It’s only Him-possible. (P 127)
• Jesus desires friends over servants.  He desires love over servitude. (P 149)

Sorry, I know I over-did the quotes. There is just so much great wisdom in this book, I couldn’t help myself.

Personal Thoughts

As Sweet and Viola write, “The road to truth is surrounded by a ditch on either side.”  It would be hard to argue with the premise of this book – that many of us who call ourselves Christians have gotten caught up in pursuing the things of Christ rather than Christ himself.  We see it everywhere around us.

I see it within myself.

The only criticism I have of Jesus Manifesto, it’s that the authors don’t engage the reader on a personal level.  You really don’t get an idea of who Len and Frank are, how Jesus has revealed himself to them along the journey of their lives, or how their lives have become an incarnation of Jesus.  That may be intentional. In fact, they may be proud of the fact that the book is all about Jesus and not about them at all.  But I like to understand where an author is coming from.  I like to see that an author is not just speaking theoretically but from experience.

Never the less, I whole-heartedly recommend Jesus Manifesto.  What could be more important than a call make the main thing the main thing?  A call to Christians to make Christianity about Christ?  I love the fact that while Sweet and Viola do talk about many of the ditches Christians fall into on either side of the path of truth, the book is not a rant, bashing misguided Christians.  Jesus Manifesto lifts up Jesus in as much beauty and glory as paper and ink can give Him, and asks, “Why would you love anyone or anything more?”

If you call yourself a Christian, this may be the most important book you ever read (other than the Bible.)

Discussion

1. Have you ever found yourself wanting the blessings of God – inner peace, eternal life, a happy family life, or anything else – more than Jesus himself?
2. Have you ever found yourself making something of God – doctrine, social justice, music, serving, or anything else – more important than Jesus himself?
3. Have you ever found yourself trying harder to be like Jesus – a nice person, more moral, a “better Christian” – rather than spending time with Jesus, getting to know him, falling in love with him, and allowing Him to flow through your heart, your attitude, and your actions?

Get a Free Book

If you’d like a free copy of Jesus Manifesto, all you have to do is

1. Retweet this post or share it on Facebook, and
2. Post a meaningful comment to this post that contributes to the conversation (include your Facebook or Twitter usename in your comment so I can connect your comment to your share/tweet).

One person will be randomly selected the afternoon of Wednesday 6/2 to receive a free copy.

Jesus Manifesto will be on special discount from Amazon.com, TODAY June 1st, the date of the release. You can learn more by going to theJesusManifesto.com. Endorsements by Matt Chandler, Ed Young, Jack Hayford, Shane Claiborne, Ed Stetzer, Reggie McNeal, Mark Batterson, Margaret Feinberg, Alan Hirsch, Anne Jackson, Tommy Barnett, and others.

Watch out!  You’re likely to see a lot of changes around here over the next month.  That’s because I’m going to blogging school.

OK, so not exactly.  But I am leading a group of 50 bloggers and counting who are going through Darren Rowse’s (aka ProBlogger’s) 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook over on the Christian Web Trends blog.

Each day for 31 days we are reading a lesson and doing an assignment that will help us to improve our blog and our blogging skills.  Additionally, there will be a blog post published to Christian Web Trends each of the 31 days where we’ll discuss the lesson and assignment.

I am tremendously excited about this because it combines two things I’m very passionate about: communication and helping people develop.

But that’s not all…

You’re Invited

If you’d like to not only learn how to take your blog to the next level but actually do it. And not just do it, but do it with a great group of bloggers who genuinely want to help each other get better, you still have time to read the details & sign up.

Monday was day one, so you’ll have a little catching up to do, but you can do it.

Speaking of Day 1

Day 1’s assignment was to write an “elevator pitch” for your blog.  Describe your blog in a way that will give them an idea of what it’s about and make they curious enough to want to know more in the in the time span of an elevator ride, about 30 seconds or 100 words.

In the process of doing that, I also wrote the About page for this blog.  Something that was missing for the first 3 years of this blog.

What do you think?

Plan B by Pete Wilson addresses the question in its subtitle, “What do you do when God doesn’t show up the way you thought he would?”  Pete Wilson is pastor of Cross Point Church, a large Christian Church in Nashville, TN.  If you’ve ever had a “Plan A” come crashing down – perhaps a loved one died, you dealt with a series illness, your spouse left you, you got fired – perhaps you’ve wondered, “How could God let this happen?”  Pete Wilson addresses this question from a biblical and personal perspective.

To be completely up front with you, I’ve only read 75% of the book at this time.  The publisher’s (Thomas Nelson’s) deal was in exchange for a free copy of the book, a review had to be published today.  Knee surgery and 2 weeks of Percocet and physical therapy have forced me to go to plan b with Plan B.  So, unfortunately, I’m not able to do as thorough a review as I would like.

From what I’ve read of Plan B, I think it’s a great book for several reasons…

1. The question about God most asked by people who are not Christians is “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? and this book addresses that.
2. The book is not only spiritual but also immensely practical.  Every single one of us has faced disappointment in our lives.  Every one of us has been forced to move to plan b in at least one area of our lives.  This book can help bring insight and perspective to those circumstances.
3. A lot of Christians have the misconception that if they follow Jesus, God will make all their dreams come true.  This simply is not true.  When plans fall apart, this can cause a crisis of faith and a lot of unbiblical explanations from “God must be mad at me” to “God doesn’t exist.”

For those reasons, I not only think Plan B is a good book to read individually, but I think it would make a great small group study.  When I’m done reading it I may even suggest to the senior pastor and programming director at my own church that we do a sermon series based on this book.  The issues addressed are just that important and relevant to people’s lives.

Discussion

When in your own life have you had a “Plan A” come crashing down and been forced to move to “Plan B?”

How did you initially react?  Did you blame God?  Question His existence? Wonder if He had abandoned you?

If some time has passed since then, has your perspective on the crisis changed at all?  If so, how?

Edit 5/3 7:45 AM: Plan B for Nashville

Pete Wilson lives in Nashville. His publisher, Thomas Nelson, is also based in Nashville. Oddly enough, on the day the book is released, many in their hometown have been forced to Plan B due to flooding. Pete’s church, Cross Point, is stepping up to help them.

Today I’m reviewing, discussing, and giving away a copy of Addition by Adoption by Kevin Hendricks.  Keep reading to learn how you can win a free copy.

In Addition by Adoption: Kids, Causes & 140 Characters, Kevin Hendricks shares the story of the adoption of his son, Milo, from Ethiopia.  The story is interwoven with 140 character Twitter posts (aka “tweets”) that give a glimpse into Kevin’s life as a work-at-home dad preparing for and then adjusting to the addition of Milo to the Hendricks household.

If you’re one who is still wondering, “What’s the point of Twitter?” or you have people asking you that question, Addition by Adoption goes a long way… not to explaining the answer but to exemplifying an answer.

Most of the content of the book is made up of Kevin’s tweets over a 2 year period.  It’s filled with funny little one-line stories anyone whose every parented a 3 year old can relate to.  It’s got emotional tweets about adoption & the conditions in Ethiopia.  Some of the tweets also tell the stories of how Kevin raised money to help the homeless and for clean water using Twitter.

Sampling of Tweets

Here’s a sampling of some of tweets included in Addition by Adoption…

Up to #14 on unofficial adoption waiting list. Excited, but trying not to get too excited. Phone rang today and made me wonder, is this it? No.
October 9, 2008

Me: “OK, Lexi, five more minutes and it’s going to be naptime.” Lexi: “No! Two more minutes!” Me: “Er… OK.”
January 22, 2009

Potty training continues in the Hendricks household. Today’s lesson: The boy who cried wolf retold as the girl who cried poop.
February 4, 2009

We met our wide-eyed little boy today. He’s very tiny and loves to watch everything going on. Quiet and cute. Made up for bewildering arrival.
March 20, 2009

I want to celebrate my 30th birthday with clean water for 30 people. If we do it I’ll shave my head: Bald Birthday Benefit.
May 15, 2009

We hit $600 so on June 13 I’m bald, but who says we can’t hit $5,000? Insane? Yes. So what? Now we’re up to $640.
May 22, 2009

Lexi, pushing Milo on the riding toy: “You want to go for a ride, Milo? Hold on, I have to get all the crap out of the way.”
October 9, 2009

In addition to being funny & interesting, I recommend Addition by Adoption for three reasons.

1. It puts a spotlight on the importance of adoption.
2. It demonstrates the power of social media.  The book is derived from tweets & is being promoted exclusively through blogs and social media.
3. Kevin is giving a portion of the proceeds from every book purchased to charity:water, a wonderful non-profit that brings clean drinking water to people in developing nations. Kevin’s goal is to raise $5,000.

Discussion

Which of these 3 aspects of the story resonates most with you?  The importance of adoption?  The power of social media to help others?  Or bringing clean drinking water to developing nations?  Why?

Get a Free Book

If you’d like a free copy of Addition by Adoption, all you have to do is

1. Retweet this post or share it on Facebook, and
2. Post a meaningful comment to this post that contributes to the conversation (include your Facebook or Twitter usename in your comment so I can connect your comment to your share/tweet).

One person will be randomly selected the afternoon of Tuesday 4/20 to receive a free copy.

Pre-Order Now

Right now you can pre-order Addition by Adoption.  If you do…

• you’ll save a buck
• twice as much money will go to charity:water
• you’ll get the book a couple of weeks early
• Kevin & his daughter, Lexi, will sign your copy.

But you must pre-order by Tuesday April 20.